Tractor



July 18, 1939. E. A: JOHNSTON ET AL TRACTOR Filed July 3, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 18, 1939. E. JOHNSTON ET AL 2,166,411

TRACTOR Filed July 3, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Iva/anions dwarolj llailnfiiow 61151051 UErqg5Zmm HZ A 6O July 18, 1939. E. A. JOHNSTON ET AL 2,166,411

- TRACTOR I Filed July 3, '1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 18, 1939. E. A. JOHNSTON ET AL "2,166,411

TRAcTofi Filed July 5, 195'! M minim! .wll @N EM .WQW 1 m MQW Nfl WOW 1 m mm w QM Zrom TRACTOR Filed July 3;, 1

E, A, JOHNSTON ET A 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 I mew/$0715" I falwamga am MJG'QSMUZZITZQ'QZFOM July 18, 1939." JOHNSTON ET AL 2,166,411

TRACTOR Filed July 3, 1937 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 1 l m enhnns July 18, 1939. A. JOHNSTON ETAL 2,166,411

TRACTOR Filed July 5, 1937 8 Sheds-Sheet a Iva/avian? fd warqlflo oimsiam "by Patented July 18, 1939 K a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACTOR Edward A. Johnston, Chicago, and Gustaf W.

Engstrom, Riverside, Ill., assignors to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application July 3, 1937, Serial No. 151,802

9 Claims. (Cl. 180-22) This invention relates to a wheel tractor. first, as having a rigid frame on which the power More particularly it relates to a six-Wheeltracplant, the transmission and the power divider tor with power applied to all wheels. l are mounted. The engine and the transmission In the design and construction of tractors, are of conventional construction. The power divarious types of final drive means have been vider consists essentially of a diiferential assemutilized. Also, tractors have been constructed bly arranged with its axis longitudinally of the with from two to eight wheels, various wheels of tractor frame. A drive shaft from the transwhich have been driven. Where maximum tracmission supplies power in two selectable ratios tion is desired or under conditions where wheels to the differential carrier. The drive shafts 10 can not be satisfactorily utilized, traction chains from the differential are geared by intermediate 10 have been used, tractors of this type being identidrive gears to propeller shafts at opposite sides fied as crawler tractors. As a step between. the of the power divider arranged to transmit drivconventional tractor with two driven traction ing power to the units at each side of the tracwheels and crawler tractors, it has been proposed tor. All of the three drive wheels at each side to build tractors with a plurality of drive wheels. of the tractor are arranged to be driven from the 15 Tractors have been built having four wheels, same source of power. Universal joints connect all of which are driven, and-six wheels, all of telescopic propeller shafts to drive shafts of the which are driven. various units. Power from the power divider is As conventional steering can not be utilized supplied directly to the center unit and therewith more than two drive wheels without a very from to the unit ahead and at the rear of the 20 complicated power transmitting mechanism, uscenter unit. ually some means other than steerable trucks To steer the tractor, brake drums are provided are necessary for steering when operating tracon the ends of the differential drive shafts, which tors having four or moredriven wheels. 1 It is extend through opposite end walls of the power also necessary in order to properly distribute the divider housing. A brake applying mechanism :25 weight of the tractor and to obtain satisfactory is constructed selectively to apply braking effort traction over uneven ground'conditions to have to either of the brake drums for steering the the drive wheels more or less independent of tractor or to simultaneously apply braking effort each other. a to both drums for braking.

The objects of a the present invention will be In the drawings: 30

better understood after a brief consideration is Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tractor emgiven to the above problems involved in a tracbodying the invention with the center wheel on tor having four or more driven wheels. one side removed and with a portion of the One principal object is to provide in a tracdriving housing broken away in section to illus- 5 tor having a rigid frame and a plurality of driven trate the driving mechanism; wheels an independent suspension system for Figure 2 is a front elevation of the tractor each transversely aligned set of driving Wheels. shown in Figure 1;

Another correlated object is the provision of a Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the tractor resilient suspension means toprovide a certain shown in Figure 1 with a portion of the brake o amount of independent movement of the drive drum housing broken away to show the actuatwheel on one side relative tothe drive on the ng mec a ism o e e; other side of the same driving unit. Figure 4 is a bottom view of the tractor shown Another object is to provide a simplified in Figure 1; mounting effective to perform the two principal Figure 5 is a phantom view showing the driving '45 objects above set forth. mechanism for the wheels including the differ- Another object is to provide an improved and ential power divider, certain of the housings and simplified drive mechanism for supplying power the tractor frame being shown in dotted lines to from the tractor engine toaplurality of indeillustrate the relative positions of the driving pendently driven traction wheels at each side of shafts and gears with respect to the other parts the tractor. of the tractor; 50

The above objects and others, which will be Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section apparent from the detailed description to follow, through the center of one of the center drive are attained by a construction such as illustrated wheels showing the drive mechanism therefor, in the drawings. Insofar as the present invenand a portion of the power dividing transmistion is concerned, the tractor may be considered, sion; 55

Figure 7 is a section taken on the line 11 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a plan view showing the power divider with the cover removed and with a portion of the brake control housing in section, as shown in Figure 11 at the line 88, to show the brake operating mechanism;

Figure 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a section taken on the line |0|0 of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line of Figure 10; and,

Figure 12 is a plan view of the tractor as shown in elevation in Figure 1.

In the description of the tractor, the frame will be considered as a unit having side frame members In and a cast transverse front cross member A radiator I2 is shown on the frame being connected by a hood |3 with a gasoline tank l4 mounted substantially mid-way of the frame. A drivers seat I5 is shown at the rear of the tractor. A pair of levers is also illustrated for controlling the engine clutch and the transmission. Referring to Figures 1 and 12, the only levers which will be referred to by reference characters are the steering brake lever Hi, the brake lever I6 and the change speed auxiliary transmission control lever |1.

In the description of the drive units, each set will be considered as the same and will bear the same reference characters. The slight difference in the angular positions of the mounting links does not affect the principle of the mechanisms involved. Also, the portions of each unit arranged at the opposite sides will be considered as identical and will bear the same reference characters.

Each drive wheel I8, which is illustrated as being provided with dual rubber tires H3, is rigidly secured to a stub axle shaft 28. Said shaft is rotatably mounted in a final drive housing 2|. Each drive housing includes means for mounting an inner ball bearing assembly 22 which rotatably supports the inner end of the shaft 28. An outer ball bearing assembly 23 is carried by a cover plate 24, which is secured to the open face of the housing 2 I. An internal drive gear 25 carried by the shaft 20 meshes with a pinion gear 26 formed integrally with a shaft 21. Said shaft carries a bevel gear 28 at its inner end. The assembly, including the gear 26, the shaft 21 and the gear 28, is rotatably carried within the housing on ball bearing assemblies 29 and 30 supported by webs formed in the housing 2|. The bevel gear 28 engages a bevel gear 3| carried by a drive shaft 32 extending longitudinally through the housing 2|. Said shaft is rotatably supported in the end walls of the housing by ball bearing assemblies 33 and 34.

Up to this point, the construction of all three final drive housings is substantially identical. In the forward driving housing at each side, the drive shaft 32 extends rearwardly through the housing and is connected by a universal joint 35 to a splined propeller shaft assembly 36. The center unit at each side is provided with extensions of the drive shaft 32 forwardly and rearwardly. The forward extension of said shaft is connected by a universal joint 31 to the rear end of the propeller shaft assembly 36. The rearwardly extending end portion of the shaft 32 is connected by a universal joint 38 with an extensible propeller shaft assembly 39. Said assembly is connected by a universal joint 40 to a forward extension of the drive shaft 32 in the rear housing. It is to be understood that this construc tion is exactly the same at opposite sides of the tractor. It will be noted, however, that due to the rotation of the wheels being in different directions relative to the position of the drive shaft 32, the gears 3| are positioned at different sides of the gears 28 on opposite sides of the tractor.

As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, the central housing 2| at each side is provided with an integrally projecting extension to provide means for housing a drive shaft 4|. Each of said shafts carries a gear 42 meshing with a gear 43 carried by the drive shaft 32 of the central housing. It is to be understood that the drive shaft 4| is mounted in suitable bearings carried by the housing 2|. Each of the shafts 4| extends forwardly and is connected by a universal joint 44 with an extensible propeller shaft assembly 45. The description of the drive mechanism will be discontinued at this point and later continued into connection with the drive from the power divider, which is mounted on the tractor frame.

The final drive housings, which have been considered as a unitary construction identified by the reference character 2|, will now be described as to their mounting on the tractor frame. Each housing 2| is provided on the upper side with an attaching face to which a bracket 46 is rigidly 11' secured. Said bracket includes transversely upwardly extending apertured ears 41. A quarter elliptic leaf spring 48 is pivotally connected on a transverse axis to the bracket 45 by means of a pivot pin 49 extending transversely through the p apertured ears 41.

The forward springs 48 are connected by clamps 50 to the transverse frame member H at the front end of the tractor. The center and rear springs 48 are connected by the clamps 50 to L laterally extending brackets 5| welded or otherwise secured to the side frame members l0. Figure 6 best shows the construction of the brackets 5|. It will be noted that the side frame members ID are channel shaped in cross section with the open side of the channel toward the center of the tractor. The brackets 5| are in two parts projecting laterally both inwardly and outwardly from the side frame member I0.

At each side of the tractor forwardly of each of the housings 2|, a supporting member in the form of a plate 52 is rigidly connected to the side frame member ID. Said plate extends downwardly, being reduced in width to clear the housing 2|. are in pairs, being in transverse alignment. The lower ends of each pair are connected by a transverse stabilizer bar 53, one of which is clearly shown in Figure 2. Said bars are provided with flanged end portions 54, which are rigidly secured to the plates 52 by a plurality of bolts. An inspection of Figure 4 will show that the rear stabilizer bar 53, which connects the rear pair of plates 52, is somewhat different in formation. Said bar forms a means for connecting a drawbar 55, which is pivoted to the bar 53 by a pin 56. The draw-bar extends rearwardly, being carried for lateral sliding movement between two spaced angle bars 51. Said bars are rigidly secured at their ends to vertical bars 58 which are bolted to the side frame members ID, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3.

As shown in Figures 1 and '7, the pairs of housings 2| are rigidly secured with respect to each other by a stabilizer bar in the form of an It will be understood that the plates 52 I-beam 59. Said I-beam, which is preferably a forging, is formed with an integral head 60 at each end. Said head is formed with a vertical face which abuts a corresponding face on the housing 25, being rigidly secured thereto by a plurality of cap screws Bl. This beam forms a single unit of the transversely positioned housings, allowing, however, up and down movement of each end substantially independent of the other end. There is, of course, a change in angularity of one of the wheels at one side when the wheel at the other side moves up and down. The suspension system is, however, of sufficient flexibility to take care of this slight angular displacement, The driving mechanism being provided with universal joints is completely flexible and is not affected by either up and down displacement or angular change in the. position of the Wheel.

Adjacent each end of each of the beams 59, an extension 52 is rigidly carried by the beam to form a support for a radius rod 63. Said radius rod is connected by a conventional universal ball joint construction (54 with the extension 52. As best shown in Figure 2, the, other end of the radius or torque rod 63 is pivotally connected by a ball type universal joint 65 with an extension arm 66 carried adjacent the head portions of the stabilizer bars 53. The ball joint construction at the ends of the torque rods 53 allow the necessary end movement, angular movement and up and down movement of the housings Z While holding them for movements of translation only in the up and down direction. It will be noted that the attaching points: of the springs 48 on the frame, the pivot points of the springs on the brackets 46 and the axes of the ball joints 64 and B5 are such as to provide a substantially parallel linkage.

To hold the housings 2| and the wheels carried thereby against excessive downward movement with probable injury to the supporting linkage and to the springs, chains 61 are attached to brackets 33 secured to the side frame members it above the rear portions of the housings 21. At their lower ends, the chains 6'! are connected to brackets 69 mounted on the housings 2|, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 6 and in full lines in Figure 1. These chains are of a. length sufficient to permit the required up and down movement of the wheels during normal operation.

In Figure 4, an engine 10 has been diagrammatically indicated as being supported on the frame of the tractor. At the rear of the engine, a clutch housing H is illustrated from which a drive shaft 12 extends. Said shaft is connected by a universal joint assembly 13 to a shaft M. Said shaft extends into a transmission casing which contains the usual change speed transmission. From the transmission, as shown in Figure 9, a drive shaft 16 extends rearwardly, being connected by a universal joint T! with a drive shaft 18, which extends into a power divider casing 19 supplying the entire engine power thereto at a speed and torque depending upon the gear ratio in the transmission l5. The shaft ii: is rotatably sup-ported in ball bearing assemblies 8S and 8!, suitably mounted in the casing 19. A gear cluster 82, including a small gear 83 and a considerably larger gear 83', is slidably splined on the shaft 78 within the casing between the ball bearing assemblies 80 and 8!. As best shown in Figure 10, a shifter fork 84, of conventional construction, is adapted to be operated by a control rod 85, shown best in Figure 8. The dotted lines in Figure 9 indicate the manner in which the shifting fork is moved by the control rod 85. This construction has not been shown in detail, as it does not form a part of the present invention. The control extends forwardly, as shown in Figures 10 and 12, and is secured to the control lever H.

The casing 79 is formed with large longitudinally aligned openings 86 at its end walls. These openings provide for the reception of flanged bearing supporting sleeves 81 substantially identical in construction at each end of the casing. The flanges of the sleeves provide means for rigidly securing the sleeves to the casing.

A differential assembly is mounted in the casing 19. The internal construction and the p1anetary gears, which make up a diiferential, have not been shown, as any conventional construction may be utilized. The construction as shown is of a known type, as disclosed in the United States Patent to White, 1,253,319. The diiferential casing 88 is shown as being composed of two main parts secured together by bolts. A drive gear 89 mounted on one part of the differential casing is adapted to be engaged and driven by the gear 83 when the gear cluster 82 is shifted in one direction. A second gear 9i], smaller in diameter than the gear 83, is also carried by the differential casing. The gear 99 is positioned to be engaged by the gear 83' when the gear ciuster 32 is shifted in one direction. The differential assembly includes shafts 9! and 92 extending from the casing 88 in opposite directions. With the axis. of the differential assembly arranged longitudinally of the tractor, a simplified gear arrangement may be utilized to transmit power to the differential casing and from the shafts Si and 92 to the final drive mechanism without the use of bevel gears. The shafts 9i and 92 extend centrally through the sleeves 8'1 and thereby through the opposite end walls of the casing projecting beyond said end walls. Each of the sleeves Bl is formed with a shouldered recess at the inner end to form a support for a. ball hea ing assembly 93, and a shouldered recess at the outer end adjacent the end wall of the casing to form a support for a smaller ball bearing assembly S4, The bearing assemblies 93 and 9E. form rotatable supports for the differential shafts iii and 92 at axially spaced locations.

The shaft 9| carries a gear 95 mounted between the bearing assemblies 93 and 9 As best shown in Figure 8, the sleeve 81 is cut away by an arcuate slot 96 at one side to permit meshing engagement of a gear 9? with the gear 85. The gear 91 is an intermediate gear rotatably mounted in the casing on a short shaft 98, as shown in Figure 5, for the purpose of transmitting power to a gear 99 mounted on a longitudinally ar ranged drive shaft H10. Said shaft extends from the casing, as shown in Figures 5, 8 and 10, and is connected by a universal joint with the propeller shaft assembly 45, previously described.

The construction at the forward end of the power divider for delivering power to the other side of the tractor is exactly the same. shown, however, better in Figure 10, as the forward portion of the transmission can be seen in this view. A gear IE1! is carried by the differential drive shaft 92 intermediate the bearing assemblies 93 and 94 at that end. Through an arcuate slot H32 in the sleeve 81 at that end, the gear Hll meshes with a gear I63, as shown in Figures 8 and 10, which is carried by a short It is shaft I04. The gear I03 meshes with a gear I05, as best illustrated in Figure 5 and as shown in dotted lines in; Figure 10, which is carried by a drive shaft I06. The shaft I06 extends forwardly through the front wall of the differential casing and is connected by a universal joint ID! with the extensible propeller shaft assembly 45 at that side of the tractor.

By means of the use of a power divider, as has been above described, it will be understood that power supplied from the transmission through the shaft I6 is applied at two selectable gear ratios to the differential casing 88. Said casing, which contains a conventional differential, divides the power between the driving shafts 9| and 92. The shaft SI supplies power to the final drive mechanisms at one side of the tractor through the system of shafts, universal joints and gears, as described, and the shaft 02 similarly supplies power to the other side of the tractor.

A brake drum I08 is secured to the extending end portion of the shaft 9| at the rear of the power divider casing. A second drum I08 is secured to the forwardly extending shaft 02. A flexible brake band I09 surrounds each brake drum being anchored on an operating member, as best shown in Figures 3 and 8. One end of the band I09 is secured by an adjustable element I I 0 to one ear II I of the operating member shown at H2. The other end of the band is secured by a looped end portion to another ear I i I formed on the operating member H2. The member I I2 is rigidly carried on an operating shaft II3, which extends into the power divider casing, as best shown in Figure 8. The casing is formed with a suitable bearing for the operating shaft I I3.

Substantially centrally of the casing I9, an operating arm H4 is secured to the end of the shaft I I3. Said arm extends laterally into a position to be engaged by a vertical plunger H5. Said plunger is positioned to be operated by a rocker arm II6 mounted on a transverse axis in a housing I I1 formed on a cover plate I I8, which is secured to the open top of the casing I9. The operating means for the brake at the other end of the power divider casing is identical, except that it extends rearwardly of the casing. The elements are identified, therefore, by the same reference characters. Referring to- Figure 10, the parts II5 to I I8 are clearly shown on a large scale. Figure 11 also shows several of these parts.

It will be noted in Figures 10 and 11 that the operating plungers I I5, for engagement with the brake actuating arms II4, are formed with enlarged fiat heads II9. By the use of this enlarged head, the rocker arm II6 may engage one portion of the head and a second rocker arm I20 may engage another portion of the head. As shown in Figures 8, l0 and 11, the rocker arm I I6 is rigidly mounted on a short actuating shaft I2I which extends laterally through a vertical wall I22 of the housing IIT. It will be noted in Figure 8 that this shaft terminates at the hub of the rocker arm II6 and that the rocker arm I20 is spaced from the rocker I I0 so that the operation of one of the rocker arms is independent of the other. A crank arm I23 rigidly secured to the outer end of the shaft I22 is connected by an operating link I24, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, with the operators control lever I6. The specific way in which this operating link is connected has not been shown as it is obvious that its actuation depends only on a fore and aft movement. Referring to Figure 11, when the operating link I24 is pulled forwardly, the forward plunger H9 is pushed downwardly thereby applying the brake at the forward end of the power divider. As the brake is applied to this end of the differential, the speed of the left hand side is reduced and the speed of the right hand is increased. Power is continued, however, to be applied to each side at different speeds, referring particularly to Figure 5. This action tends to turn the tractor toward the side at which the braking effort is applied. This type of steering, in itself, is quite old being very similar to the steering of the conventional crawler type tractors.

When the operating link I24 is pushed rearwardly, the plunger H5 at the rear is applied, thereby applying braking effort on the drum at the rear of the power divider casing. The delivery of power to the right side of the tractor, referring to Figure 5, is reduced by this action depending upon the amount of braking effort applied. The tractor is then turned in the opposite direction toward the left.

The rocker arm I20 is pivotally carried on a pivot pin I25, which is carried by an actuating arm I25. Said arm is rigidly mounted on an operating shaft I21 extending laterally through the vertical wall I22 of the extension housing II'I. Outside the housing, an actuating arm I28 is secured to the shaft I21. An actuating link I29 is secured to the arm I28 and extends forwardly to the operators control lever I6, as shown in Figure 12. The connection of this link has not been shown in detail, as any mechanism for manually applying pressure to the link is effective to operate the brake mechanism.

When pressure is applied rearwardly to the link I29, the lever arm I20 acts to apply pressure equally divided between both of the plungers I I5, By this action the brakes at both ends of the power divider casing are applied. There is no action tending to steer a tractor as braking effort is, by this mechanism, simultaneously applied to both sides of the tractor.

The operation of the different mechanisms contained in the tractor above described have been explained in connection with the description.

The action of the suspension system has also been clearly explained during the description of the component parts. The principal features of this construction are the suspension spring including the stabilizer beams and the bars beneath the tractor, the drive mechanism including the power dividing means, the final drive mechanism and the braking system, both for steering and for applying braking against movement of the tractor.

It is to be understood that applicants have shown and described only a preferred embodiment of their improved multiple wheel tractor with drive to all of the wheels, and that they claim as their invention all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tractor having a plurality of independent drive units, the combination with the frame of the tractor, of an axle drive housing secured at each side of the frame by means providing for upward movement against spring pressure, an axle extending from each housing, a drive wheel carried by each of said axles, means including gearing in the housings for supplying power to said axles, a supporting member secured to each side of the tractor frame forwardly of each of the housings, a stabilizer bar secured between said members, torque rods secured adjacent the lower end of the members and to the housings, and a draw-bar connected to said stabilizer bar.

2. In a tractor having a plurality of independ ent drive units, the combination with the frame of the tractor, of an axle drive housing secured at each side of the frame by means providing for upward movement against spring pressure, an axle extending from each housing, a drive wheel carried by each of said axles, means including gearing in the housings for supplying power to said axles, a supporting member secured to each side of the tractor frame forwardly of each of the housings, a stabilizer bar secured between said members, torque rods secured adjacent the lower end of the members and to the housings, a drawbar pivotally connected to said stabilizer bar and extending rearwardly therefrom, and a supporting structure connected to the tractor frame for supporting the rear end of the draw-bar against movement in a vertical direction.

3. In a tractor having a plurality of drive units at each side thereof, the combination with the frame of the tractor, of independent axle drive housings secured at opposite sides of the frame in transverse alignment by means providing for upward movement against spring pressure, stop means connected to each housing and engageable with the frame for positively limiting movement of the housing in a downward direction, an axle extending from each housing, a drive wheel-can ried by each of said axles, means including gearing in the housings for supplying power to said axles, transverse stabilizer bars secured to each pair of housings, a supporting member secured to each side of the tractor frame forwardly of each of the housings, and torque rods secured adjacent the lower end of the members and to the housings.

4. In a tractor having a plurality of drive units at each side thereof, the combination with the frame of the tractor, of axle drive housings sc cured at each side of the frame by means providing for upward movement against spring pressure, an axle extending from each housing, a

- drive wheel carried by each of said axles, means including gearing in the housings for supplying power to said axles, means for simultaneously applying driving power to all of the axles at either side of the tractor, a supporting member secured to each side of the tractor frame forwardly of each of the housings, and torque rods secured adjacent the lower end of the members and to the housings.

5. In a tractor, the combination of a leaf spring rigidly secured at one end to the tractor, an axle drive housing pivotally secured to the other end of said spring, an axle extending from each housing, a drive wheel carried by said axle, means for supplying power to said axle, a supporting member secured to the tractor frame forwardly of said housing and extending downwardly in front of the housing, and a torque rod pivotally connected at one end to said supporting member and pivotally connected at the other end to the housing, said connection being located relative to the connections of the spring to form substantially a parallel linkage.

6. In a tractor, the combination of a leaf spring rigidly secured at one end to the tractor at each side thereof, an axle drive housing pivotally secured to the other end of said spring, an axle extending from each housing, a drive wheel carried by said axle, means for supplying power to axle, a supporting member secured to the tractor frame forwardly of each of said housings and extending downwardly in front of the housing, a torque rod at the side of the tractor flex ibly secured to the supporting member and to the housing, a transverse stabilizing member rigidly connected to said housings and a transverse stabilizing member rigidly connected to the lower end of the supporting members.

In a tractor having a frame and a plurality of drive units at one side thereof, the combination with the frame of the tractor of dependent axle drive housings secured longitudinally spaced at one side of the frame, means for connecting said housings to the frame providing for upward movement against spring pressure, stop means connected to each housing and engageable with the frame for positively limiting downward movement of the housing, a drive wheel carried by of said axles, a supporting member secured to each side of the tractor forwardly of each of the housings, and a torque rod secured to each housing and to the supporting member.

8. In a tractor having a frame and at least three drive units at one side thereof, the combination with the frame of the tractor of dependent axle drive housings secured longitudinally spaced at one side of the frame, means for connecting said housings to the frame providing for upward movement against spring pressure, stop means connected to each housing and engageable with the frame for positively limiting downward movement of the housing whereby during operation of the tractor over irregular ground conditions the tractor may be supported on two of the units with the other unit being supported by the stop means, a drive wheel carried by said axles, a supporting member secured to each side of the tractor forwardly of each of the housings, and a torque rod secured to each housing and to the supporting member.

9. In a tractor, the combination of a leaf spring rigidly secured at one end to the tractor, an axle drive housing pivotally secured to the other end of said spring, an axle extending from each housing, a drive wheel carried by said axle, means for supplying power to said axle, a supporting member secured to the tractor forwardly of said housing and extending downwardly in front of the housing, a torque rod pivotally connected at one end to said supporting member and pivotally connected at the other end to the housing, said connection being located relative to the connections of the spring to form substantially a parallel linkage, and stop means connected to the housing and engageable with the tractor for positively limiting movement of the housing in a downward direction.

EDWARD A. JOHNSTON. GUSTAF W. ENGSTROM.

(ill 

